Do you want a healthy weight loss diet that does not just melt your pounds away fast, but also maintains your health long-term? A vegan weight loss diet based on whole foods can do that for you!

How about losing weight without counting calories or restricting nutrients? If that sounds good, be ready to embark on a real change, not just a quick fad diet that has your weight yo-yoing as you go from one "magical diet plan" to the next. You don't need costly diet programs or weight loss pills. All you need is wholesome, healthy weight loss foods, regular healthy habits, and a good fitness plan.

A healthy weight loss diet has to consider your long-term health impact, not just how many pounds you can lose fast.

There is no such thing as a guaranteed-success pill or diet plan - and you don't need them either! You alone are the master of your weight loss success, and the long-term maintenance of your desired body weight. Isn't that an encouraging thought?

None of these will cost much money with a healthy weight loss dietwith plant-based whole foods: just a good portion of determination and openness to change!

The essence for a long-term, healthy diet plan for weight loss is this:

Avoid foods high in cholesterol, saturated fat, and refined carbohydrates.

Some weight loss systems appear to bring fast results, but if you look closer they have serious health risks.

Many of us have been through the dieting yo-yo effect, which brings up the weight faster after that last diet than you can say "muffin top". And then we do another diet, and another one after that, each time with less success and fast weight regain.

With each new diet, your body is basically thrown from one starvation phase (or nutrition deprivation mode) into another. Your metabolism can slow down drastically during a low calorie diet, and very little energy is used in order to stretch each calorie of your weight loss food to the max.

Then once you eat normally again, your body can retain its starvation panic mode for up to several months. Now it desperately holds on to the nutrition it gets, and does so with double preservation effort. Every morsel of food you eat is used sparingly to burn, while more is stored in your fat cells (like a metabolic savings account), just to have a cushion in case another famine (diet) occurs. Fat deposits simply make better shields for meager times than lean muscles do! Fat needs less energy than muscles to burn and maintain, and hence is the deposit of choice for your nutrient-starved body at this time.

And so you find yourself gaining weight quicker after each diet than ever before - it's your body's natural defense mechanism.

Very low-calorie diets cause two major problems: They lower your metabolic rate, making it harder to slim down; and they lead to bingeing.

Why meat, dairy, and eggs are bad for a healthy weight loss diet

All animal foods have high amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat, no matter how lean you eat your meat; if you eat fish; or if you only use skim milk and low-fat cheese - there is no room for this high fat level in a healthy weight loss diet. Read more.

Animal foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. They have no fiber to boost your metabolism and no antioxidants to boost your immune system

Fat also has 9 calories per gram, versus 4 calories per gram in carbs or proteins. Only 3% of the calories in fat are burned before storage in your body, while carbohydrates burn a whoppy 23% of calories before they are deposited (5).

As if fat and cholesterol weren't bad enough, animal foods also give you excess protein in your diet, with the average American consuming up to 4 times (160 grams) the daily required protein amounts to keep the body healthy (between 30-40 grams). Read more.

Unlike fat, protein cannot be stored in the body, so an excess of it must be broken down by the liver and kidneys. This process creates toxic protein byproducts, and when it is excreted by the kidney, it uses up precious calcium to neutralize the acids (7, 9).

High protein, low carb diets often give you a deceptive sense of fast success, as the excess protein flushes out a lot of water, which is always the first phase of weight loss. The Atkins diet based on low carb, high protein, high fat animal foods provides 150 - 350 grams of protein a day: 4 - 10 times the healthy amount. Can you imagine the devastating effect of this diet on your kidney, liver, bone health and cholesterol level? This is far from a healthy weight loss diet that considers your long-term health! (8)

All animal foods are acidic by nature and create an acidic pH balance in your body, which facilitates the mutation of cancer cells and growth of many bacteria. In contrast, plant foods are mostly alkaline and create a healthy pH balance in your body. Read more.

Animal foods have no fiber, the #1 ingredient for detoxification and a fast, healthy metabolism. Read more.

Animal foods lack antioxidants and most vitamins needed for a healthy immune system.

Meat and cheese stay long in the human intestine, often for days or sometimes even weeks. This is counter-productive for fast, metabolic weight loss. Read more.

You feel bloated, full, and often tired after eating animal products, as your body's energy is used up for digestion, rather than building new cells or pumping blood to your brain.

Dairy, cheese, and eggs are no better than meat: they have even more cholesterol and saturated fat, which the body doesn't need. Read more.

Forget the myth that high protein intake leads to higher muscle mass - or do you think that most Americans are trim and fit? A healthy weight loss diet that improves muscle mass does not require additional protein. Read more.

Causes of Obesity

In the US about 72% of the population is now overweight and 34% of these are considered obese. This avoidable condition starts at ever younger ages, with now almost 15% of school-age children and adolescents being considered obese.

The only healthy weight loss diet for the long-term: a plant-based, vegan weight loss diet based on unprocessed whole foods

A successful diet that keeps your weight off permanently can never be a temporary, short crash diet; it has to be a lifestyle change. This means adopting new healthy habits and natural, powerful weight loss foods. This gives you the wonderful benefits of healthy weight loss and superior health all at once.

The truth is, it doesn't really matter how much you eat, but what you eat. In fact, you can even eat the same portions or more, if you change your eating habits and adopt a different lifestyle.

Nutrient density is key, which means foods that have a higher nutrient to calorie ratio. The more bang (nutrients) you get for your buck (calories), the better you will feel and the less calories you will need to be full and satisfied. These are ideal weight loss foods!

As a natural side effect you will lose weight - without embarking on a restricted, low calorie diet that leaves you grumpy, craving, and results in diet yo-yo effect

The foods with the highest nutrient density are plant-based, and many even fall into the category of superfoods.

What is veganism?

While you may discover veganism through your new healthy vgean weight loss diet first, many vegans are ethical vegans, who avoid using animal products and by-products for food, clothing, and all other aspects of life. They often oppose the use and exploitation of animals for food, fashion, sport, entertainment, science, etc., as the animals suffer greatly in these areas, and are often subjected to severe abuse and cruelty.

Veganism is not only a plant-based diet that eliminates all animal foods, but for most it is also a conscious lifestyle that embraces compassion towards all living beings

Other vegans may embrace their plant-based diet due to environmental concerns, as animal agriculture is the largest single sector contributing to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide; more than all transportation means combined. Learn more here: Going Green With Food.

So how does this vegan weight loss help you lose your pounds fast and permanently?

Plant foods have no cholesterol and much less fat than animal foods, so you automatically decrease your fat calorie intake drastically. This prompts your body to burn up its stored fat more easily as metabolic weight loss. Remember that fat has 9 calories per gram, which is the highest of all nutrients.

As you eliminate animal foods and replace these with unprocessed, whole plant foods, your overall daily caloric intake in this healthy weight loss diet will be lower, and will force your body to burn more of its storage - first carbohydrates (glycogen) and then fat. The good news is that you don't need to eat less to lose weight with this healthy diet plan!

Plant foods are natural weight loss foods, as they are rich in carbohydrates, which are the main energy fuel for your body. Carbs have only 4 calories per gram and your body burns up to 23% of these calories before anything is stored in your cells. Compare that to the meager 3% burn rate of fat.

Since you eat more nutrient-dense foods with plenty of fiber, your metabolism gets a kickstart and burns at a faster rate for metabolic weight loss. The fiber also detoxes and flushes out dangerous carcinogens and cholesterol from your intestines.

Since you eat more whole foods and complex carbohydrates, you will be full sooner and longer than with the empty calories found in refined foods and simple sugars. You will need less food to feel satiated and satisfied with this healthy weight loss diet.

You will get enough healthy, complete protein in your vegan diet, but only as much as your body can actually use! Excess protein consumption is a problem in the US and leads to bone loss and osteoporosis. Find out more about this.

Since you don't restrict your calories unnaturally, you will not be nutrient-deficient with this healthy weight loss diet, and your body will never enter a "starvation phase" during the diet. This means it won't slow your metabolism, and you won't experience any diet yo-yo effect or weight regain, once you have reached your ideal weight and increase your daily calories.

What do you get out of your vegan weight loss plan and exercise routine?

Courtesy PCRM: Diabetes Cure and Weight Loss on a Vegan Diet

You don't really "diet" - as you don't eat small portions, take any pills, or drink any funny concoctions to lose weight.

As a matter of fact, you eat the same portions or even more. Since your foods are natural weight loss foods with more nutrients and no empty calories, you can eat the same and still lose weight!

You eat different foods that are natural, unprocessed, and whole. Most importantly: you eat plant foods, which promote:

Better circulation - a proper blood supply keeps all your organs "oiled" and in good working shape for burning energy.

Less water retention - a lot of your overweight is water, and if you don't retain it with salty foods, the excess water disappears quickly.

More energy use - as you eat healthier and exercise more, lean muscles are created, which need more energy from nutrients than fat tissue, so you burn more and lose weight faster.

Less bloating and acids - animal foods are acidic and create toxic bacteria and residues in your intestines. Plant foods are mainly alkaline and create a healthy pH balance in your body.

Less mood changes and spikes - the high glycemic index of refined and simple sugars create a fast blood sugar spike that also drops rapidly again, leaving you tired and wanting more of the refined sugar. This healthy vegan diet is based on complex carbohydrates and sugars, which increase your blood sugar levels more gradually and keep them steady over a longer time.

There is no transition period between your diet and normal eating phases, as you are embracing a new healthy lifestyle, so your body is never shock-treated from starvation into excess food supplies and vice versa.

We are combining this vegan healthy diet with the best exercise for weight loss, so you will create more lean muscle, which burns at a higher rate than fat, and helps with even faster weight loss. The rate at which your body burns calories is called metabolism. Increasing that rate is key to successful weight loss, and this can only be achieved when you combine a healthy weight loss diet with exercise.

Foods high in fiber are natural healthy diet foods, as they provide roughage for a healthy digestive system and speed up your bowel movement. Check the nutrition data chart for high fiber foods that improve metabolic weight loss.

High nutrient density foods are perfect weight loss foods - and the more colorful your food is, the better for your diet. When the ratio of nutrients to calories is high, fat melts away, and health is restored. The more nutrient-dense food you consume, the more you will be satisfied with fewer calories, and the less you will crave fat and high-calorie foods.

Plenty of fruits and vegetables in bright colors for heart health and weight loss at the same time. Eat some of these raw too during your healthy weight loss diet.

What you should eat in strict moderation

Fat: Our body needs only very little fat to function well. Look for essential unsaturated fats in natural sources, but only in very small amounts. Avoid high-fat avocados or coconut milk during your healthy weight loss diet. Stick to minimal amounts of vegetable oils.

Simple sugars: consume only in very small amounts. Try the natural, herbal sugar substitute stevia as sweetener, and use small amounts of raw sugar for baking and in sweets. Limit white bread, white rice, white pasta, and honey drastically, as they interfere with healthy metabolic weight loss.

nuts have lots of unsaturated fat

Salt: we get far too much salt in form of sodium in every packaged food item there is, even so-called health foods. Salt retains water in your cells (bad for weight loss) and increases blood pressure (risk for heart attack and stroke). While you may like to try soy protein and fake meats as transition foods in your new vegan diet, use these sparingly, as they contain high sodium levels. Here is an overview of natural foods with sodium content.

Chocolate: yes you can, but only dark chocolate with a minimum of 72% cocoa. The higher this percentage the better. Skip any chocolate that has milk in it. Cocoa is high in fat, but in small amounts it gives you a great mood boost with endorphins, and adds a portion of healthy flavonoids (14), which can take some of the dieting pressure off. Pure cocoa butter is also rich in antioxidants.

Coffee: there are claims pro and contra coffee's health benefits, but I recommend to limit your coffee consumption drastically, as it dehydrates, bloats, and gives you a caffeine rush that can lead to mood swings, particularly on a new healthy weight loss diet.

Alcohol: be very strict with this. Alcohol has lots of empty calories (7 calories per gram) that tend to deposit in your fat cells right away, so it can sabotage your healthy weight loss diet easily. An occasional glass of wine (100 calories) or beer (150 calories) are all you should indulge in.

Sodas - no exception here - these have no room in a healthy weight loss diet

Get Started With Your Healthy Weight Loss Diet

Do you think plant foods are boring and you can't stick to such a healthy weight loss diet for long?
I challenge you to give it a try and use these delicious, high nutrient-dense recipes as a start.

Or take a look at this excellent 21-day vegan kickstart challenge from PCRM, which provides daily tips and recipes about a healthy weight loss diet, and acts as great guide for newcomers to the vegan diet and to healthy vegan weight loss.

Do you need to exercise to lose and keep off weight permanently? Absolutely. Find out why!

Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended as medical advice. It is solely based on the experience and information researched and gathered from reputable sources by Ina Mohan. Please consult with your certified healthcare provider to ensure that you can safely follow the healthy eating guidelines provided on this website. Ina Mohan encourages you to research and verify all health and diet information that you receive, particularly from sources that may have a commercial interest in disputing the healing capabilities of the human body with wholesome nutrition.